What are you doing with what God has given you?

Read Hosea 1:1-2

Opening Prayer

Introduction:

I was watching game 7 of the world series last night and as the game was nearing the end- back and forth into the 10th inning, I began to ask myself, what will each player do with the opportunity given at the plate? Early last week many players testified of how the Lord has worked in their lives, and now I was considering, how may they use this-each at bat, each play… Who will take it all- and will it come down to one play where someone showed up big.

“Hosea”- Means “Help or Salvation”

He is from Northern Israel and mentions Ephraim 37 times within this book.

Hosea was Israel’s home town missionary.

He is ministering during and extreme tumultuous time where spiritual decline was at an extreme, the conditions were horrible, religion sank into the most sensual idolatry. Family life was on a massive decline.

Hosea is a prophet during the reign of Jeroboam II. He was known for great military success however all of his success was suffered by spiritual decline and social injustice. At this point the northern tribes of Israel had reached their peak of wealth and power but were right on the verge of great destruction.

The book of Hosea is covering about a 25 year period from about 755 -725 BC.

As we see in chapter 1, God instructs Hosea to do something quite interesting. To marry a harlot. Now there is some debate as to whether or not Gomer was a woman of reputation at this point or if she was going to be a harlot within the relationship with Hosea. Regardless-this is the situation at hand. God, using Hosea as His prophet uses the crumbling relationship of Hosea and Gomer as an example to how the relationship is crumbling between Israel and God.

They have three children-two boys and one girl:

Jezreel-Vengeance

Lo-Ruhamah-Uncompassionated

Lo-Ammi-Not my People

God shares through Hosea to Jeroboam II, that basically God is not pleased with His people, they are not His people in action, yet are the sons of the living God (Vs. 10-11).

Begin to read chapter 2:1- Highlight the statement-Nor am I her husband.

God is desiring a marriage and the covenant of old to remain, however God is reminding them that obedience leads to blessing within the land and disobedience would lead to drought. Obedience to the covenant would result in blessing, but disobedience would bring judgement and eventually exile.

Hosea is comparing Israel’s covenant relationship to the Lord with marriage and accused Israel of spiritual adultery. they had turned to Baal-who was a Canaanite fertility god that meant “husband or Master”. This is a stumbling block for the people.

Read verse: 2:8

This morning I want to propose the question “What are you doing with what God has given you?”

He has given her (Israel) grain, new wine and oil.

Provision

Prosperity

Blessing

At this time we see total chaos in the land where there has been an abandonment on the relationship between Israel and their God. We can easily see here that first, leadership effects the people top down, and secondly, that mishandling the blessings of God will lead to devastation. In our day, we often look back on Israel with a bit of a black eye, but only imagine if a book had been written on the spiritual decline within our own nation...

As dark as this book starts, I want to encourage you all, to realize that regardless of the besetting sin that Israel is wrapped up in currently, God does not give up on them.

You see in many ways, we can clearly see a picture of Christ within the relationship of Hosea and Gomer. As we approach this communion table, we are to examine ourselves before God. The second question I want us to consider, “Is there anything in your life that is making it difficult to fully serve God?”

Read Hosea 2:2–3 “2 “Bring charges against your mother, bring charges; For she is not My wife, nor am I her Husband! Let her put away her harlotries from her sight, And her adulteries from between her breasts; 3 Lest I strip her naked And expose her, as in the day she was born, And make her like a wilderness, And set her like a dry land, And slay her with thirst.”

God essentially is saying much like He did in Deuteronomy- “remove the sin from your camp as it will prohibit you from serve and following me well.

Communion:

1 Corinthians 11:27–28 “27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.”

Prayer over the bread:

We must all realize that we have been given eternal life when it has been totally undeserved. We are Gomer in this context, and God’s mercy and love to His people really is the central theme of this book. God demonstrates His own love that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

1 Corinthians 11:23–24 “23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.””

Prayer over the Bread:

Hosea 2:13-Read through 20

Restoration is desired by God the entire way. Correction, gentleness, hope, praise, and restoration. This is what God has done for you and I, and today we are to recall this amazing grace that He has provided you and I.

Hosea 11:3–4 “3 “I taught Ephraim to walk, Taking them by their arms; But they did not know that I healed them. 4 I drew them with gentle cords, With bands of love, And I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped and fed them.”

There exists a long history of God’s everlasting love.

1 Corinthians 11:25–26 “25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.”

what are you doing with what God has given you?

Your time

Your energy

Your riches in Christ

Your availability

Your focus

Your access to people

Your heart

Your Breathe

Your family

What are you doing with what God has given you? Are you acknowledging that it is first from the Lord, and second do you plan to use it for His glory, or are you preparing it for Baal?

Consider that thing that God has given you-how are you using it? Is there anything holding you back from serving and following Him well?

Missions Emphasis:

You may be sitting here this morning wondering how this plays into missions. This is our missions emphasis month and I do believe this teaches us a few things missionally.

We have been given the manifold of Grace-what are we doing with it? Are we using the salvation message as God has intended? There is plenty in our world today that we can clearly see and understand that once was intended for something beautiful but now is used for Baal. This missions month, how are you and I using what God has given us for His glory, for His intentions, for His mission? Both spiritually and practically. Perhaps the Lord has placed you in a unique situation practically, how are you using that? How are you using the platform that God has given you?

In closing, I think about the investment of time often. I have come to the conclusion that my aim everyday ought to be in communion with Him, and to invest in Godly matters. Friends, we are a rich and wealthy people spiritual-let us not mishandle this blessing and salvation that the world needs to here. We sometimes place this burden and weight on missionaries, but you and I are called to serve where we are at. Hosea is serving where he grew up within his own land.

Remove and strip the besetting sin-to be free in following Him, Serving Him and being on a daily mission for Him.

Hosea 14:4–9 “4 “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from him. 5 I will be like the dew to Israel; He shall grow like the lily, And lengthen his roots like Lebanon. 6 His branches shall spread; His beauty shall be like an olive tree, And his fragrance like Lebanon. 7 Those who dwell under his shadow shall return; They shall be revived like grain, And grow like a vine. Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon. 8 “Ephraim shall say, ‘What have I to do anymore with idols?’ I have heard and observed him. I am like a green cypress tree; Your fruit is found in Me.” 9 Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right; The righteous walk in them, But transgressors stumble in them.”